diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/akka/persistence/Eventsourced.scala b/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/akka/persistence/Eventsourced.scala
index 2150e2d4b9..53c3446072 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/akka/persistence/Eventsourced.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/akka/persistence/Eventsourced.scala
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ package akka.persistence
 import java.util.UUID
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger
 
-import akka.actor.{ ActorCell, DeadLetter, StashOverflowException }
+import akka.actor.{ Actor, ActorCell, DeadLetter, StashOverflowException }
 import akka.annotation.InternalApi
 import akka.dispatch.Envelope
 import akka.event.{ Logging, LoggingAdapter }
@@ -459,7 +459,13 @@ private[persistence] trait Eventsourced extends Snapshotter with PersistenceStas
     }
 
     private val recoveryBehavior: Receive = {
-      val _receiveRecover = receiveRecover
+      val _receiveRecover = try receiveRecover catch {
+        case NonFatal(e) ⇒
+          try onRecoveryFailure(e, Some(e))
+          finally context.stop(self)
+          returnRecoveryPermit()
+          Actor.emptyBehavior
+      }
 
       {
         case PersistentRepr(payload, _) if recoveryRunning && _receiveRecover.isDefinedAt(payload) ⇒
diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/PersistentActorSpec.scala b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/PersistentActorSpec.scala
index 7c8feb2a23..c4c378b97f 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/PersistentActorSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/PersistentActorSpec.scala
@@ -663,6 +663,11 @@ object PersistentActorSpec {
       case Cmd(d) ⇒ persist(Evt(d))(updateState)
     }
   }
+
+  class ExceptionActor(name: String) extends ExamplePersistentActor(name) {
+    override def receiveCommand = commonBehavior
+    override def receiveRecover = throw new TestException("boom")
+  }
 }
 
 abstract class PersistentActorSpec(config: Config) extends PersistenceSpec(config) with ImplicitSender {
@@ -1176,6 +1181,12 @@ abstract class PersistentActorSpec(config: Config) extends PersistenceSpec(confi
       persistentActor ! "boom"
       expectTerminated(persistentActor)
     }
+
+    "stop actor when direct exception from receiveRecover" in {
+      val persistentActor = namedPersistentActor[ExceptionActor]
+      watch(persistentActor)
+      expectTerminated(persistentActor)
+    }
   }
 
 }